Improvement in artificial legs



f Like lette'rs' sponding parts in all the figures.

PATENT OFF CE.

PHYLANDER DANIELS, OF LE ROY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT m ARTIFICIAL Lacs.

Specification forming part of Leiters Patent No. 4!.282, dated January 19, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, PHYLANDER- DANIELS,

of Le Boy, in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements (in Artificial Legs; and

I do hereby declare that the following is'a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Fig; 3, a central vertical sectionof the ankle= joint at right angles to Fig. 1; Fig.4, an elevation of a portion of the foot and'leg,-'showing moroparticularly the arrangement of the ankle-joint.

r rfrntemaita cane:

My improvementshave relation to the superior portion or thigh-socket of the artificial limb, the arrangement of t* partscomposing the knee-joint,-;to 1116 1188 a coiled, .win'ding.

' adj listing-spring connecting the. superior Fahd anterior portions of the leg, whereby the for-l ward'movcment'isTproduced in walking, and

- to the arrangement of the parts composing the ankle-j oint.

l As represented in the drawings, the limb is adapted to nsewhere amputation is above the the knee. v

In ordinary devices the superior leg or socket A is formed 'of-wood turned or fashioned to' the; proper form, andhavinga socket ior't-hereception of the natural'member. For difl'erentpersonsi'this portion of the limb has to be-made of different sizes andforms, in-

volvingniuch labor and expense. It is also very heavy and unwieldy. The greatest objection is, however, that by reason of its rigidity and unyieldingness it is exceedingly painful and uncomfortable to-the wearer, and this I cannot be 'obviatedby striding or cushioning i transverse bolt, 1'.

ture by accident, or to become weathercracked, asin the'case of wood, while it is formed at a fraction of the expense and labor. By its considerable height and its stiffness it is unyielding vertically, thus always retaining its form; but at the same time, by its flexibility, it adapts itself easily to any pressure of the natural member within it, thus securing great ease and comfort to the wearer-a matter of the. greatest consequence. To the upper end of this portion (is secured a strip, a, of leather,having attached thereto buckles b b for connecting supporting-straps passing over the shoulder of the wearer.

.The lower open end is filled by a block, B, of wood, Figs. 1 and 2, to which the leather is secured ,by means of screws, nails, or otherwise. The'knee-j'oint is formed bythe' junction of the inferior leg Owith this block, as follows: Vertically in the block, at suitable distances apart, are made two orpmore saw kerfs or grooves, c c, Fig. 2, of suitable height,

.having' rounded tops, which receive, respect ively, closely thin metallic ,disks or circular plates D D, Figs. 1 and 2, having shanks d d, extending down into the wood of the inferior eg and secured by screws, or in some equivlent manner. Centrally through the joint thus formed passes an axis, f, secured conveniiently by a nut, g. In corresponding position, near the edge of theplates DD, are made concentric slots h h, through which passes a The relative position of the slots and bolt is such that when the leg' is in' a fully-upright position, asin .Fig. 1, the bolt rests against the forward boundaries of the slots; but when the leg is'fl'exedQthe slots are of sufficient length to allow the movement ,of the bolt. v

This arrangement secures a very firm and unyielding joint, which cannot easily get disarranged, while it is very cheap and easily made.

The plates D, fitting and turning closely within the grooves and-beingsituated at considerable transverse distance apart, insure the leg against any undue lateral action or strain, and thus keep it firmly in place under all cir-' cumstances and, conditions, whether passing over smooth or uneven surfaces. I This bracing against transverse movement is rendered more effective by the employment of the bolt i, which prevents to a certain degree the lateral leverage from acting cntire'l y on the axial center f as a fulcrum by sharinga portion itself, thus having a tendency to keep the plates from becoming 'bent. or broken. The special use of the slots and bolt, however, is to form a' gage to" prevent the leg being brought forward too far, or beyond the up.- right position, by the reaction of the spring connecting the superior and inferior portions of the leg, as will presently be described. This 'is accomplished by the pin striking against the end of the slots and arresting farther motion. This device is very convenient and effective.

When the leg is flexed, the reaction to an upright position is produced by a flat coiled spring, g, (Fig. 1,) of suitable size, similar to an ordinary clock-spring, attached at the upper end in anysuitable manner to the superior portion A; of the leg, and passing thence downward into a cavity, k, in the inferior portion O,-and winding on a small transverse drum having a ratchet-wheel, Z, on its shaft, into which catches a pawl, m, substantially as represented. Thus it will be perceived that the spring may be wound or unwound by merely turning or unturuing the shaft. To accomplish this action I prefer to extend the shaft 0 out through a key-hole in the side of the leg, and make that portion square, to which is fitted a key having a square socket similar to a watch-key. The reverse movement to relieve the reaction of the springmaybe accomplished in any desirable manner, the arrangement represented in the drawings being a straight slide, q, passing in through the leg and striking againsta projection of the pawl below its piv'ot. The front portion, 0, of the inferior leg is made removable to secure access to the cavity k.

The wearer by means of this arrangement is enabled to adjust the reaction of the spring connecting the upper and lower portions of the leg' to the exact degree of intensity necessary or desired, it being fully under his control. This adjustment is frequently necessary to compensate for thechanges produced by difference of temperature, summer or winter, also Wear, .the difference in gait orquickness of step in different individuals, and many circumstances that require a modification of the flexingof the limb. By the use of this device I am also enabled to employ the same size of springin limbs of diflerent sizes by merely regulating its intensity in the manner de scribed-a matter of very great convenience; and it is also adapted, in the same relation, to limbs of different height by uucoiling more or less of its length-an effect that cannot be produced in any other device with which I am acquainted, the elastic cord or spring in such cases being adapted only to a single leg, and not adj ustable either in intensity or length to different limbs.

The ankle-joint is produced by a transverse axis, 1', passing through theinferior leg G, the extrclnitiesof said bolt resting in the upper end of laterally-acting hinges s s, Figs. 3 and 4, attached rigidly on the outside of the foot H on either side, but-the upper half thereof, in which the axis rests, being allowed some lateral motion on its central joint, as clear] y shown. The object of this arrangement is to allow the foot to incline somewhat in walking over uneven ground, or in stepping on stones or other small bodies that have a tendency to incline the foot sidewise. This effect is further insured by the peculiar formation of the socket t, Fig. 3, through which the. axis passes. This socket is enlarged or rounded out on each side of the center, so as to leave an open space at eachend for the axis to work in, the central port-ion only bearing, as clearly indicated. This allows either the foot or leg to turn sidewise to asuitable degree and without positive friction, the surface of the socket it merely rolling, as it were, upon the'axis, instead of turning, as in ordinary arrangements.

I am aware that lateral action of the foot has before been attained by the use of a unisocket the central bearing-surface of the former is but slight, so that the progressive vertical motion produces but little friction, and

at the sametim'e, inturning laterally, the

rolling'action of the axis produces scarcely any friction.

The anterior and posterior portions of the foot areconnected with the leg by means of elastic straps u and 'u, thejformer conuectedrfn" a suitable manner with an adjusting-screw, 1'0, in the foot, by which its reaction is adjusted to any degree desired. The axial bolt of the ankle-j oint being situated equidistant between these straps, their office is to hold the foot to its proper horizontal position in relation to the leg when not in motion. In walking,wheu the weight is thrown on the heel, the cord u is elongated, and its contraction immediately re stores the foot to its normal position' when raised for the next step. When the weight is greatest on the forward portion of the foot, the cord 1) is elongated, and in reacting its action is like that of the other. By adjusting the tension of u by the screw w, the action may be easily and perfectly adapted to the requirements of the wearer.

I do not claim a leather socket for the reception of the natural thigh in amputation above the knee, when said socket is rigidly braced and confined by the addition of a framework of wood or iron; nor do I claim a flexible leather socket with side irons merely for the purpose of securing the leg firmly to the natural thigh when amputation is below the knee, as I am aware that such devices have before been employed; but,

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Forming the socket A, for the reception of the natural thigh when amputation is above the knee of sole leather or other thick leather of sufiicient stiflness tobe self-supporting, and

not requiring a skeleton frame, and so arranged tbat its flexibility will allow it to yieldand adapt itself to the form of the natural member within, so as to secure ease to the wearer, said socket being used in combination D D, resting in the grooves a c, and connected scribed.

3; In combination with the parts thus forming the knee-joint, the concentric slots h h and bolt i, arranged substantially as herein speci 4. The arrangement of the lateral hingesss, axis 1', and its socket t, in combination with the foot H and inferior'leg C, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PHYLANDER DANIELS.

Witnesses:

J. F. DAVIS, MORTIMER L. DANIELS. 

